Advenures in Avalon
by Angel of the Night AKA Elisa
Summary: A SLIGHT Gargoyles Crossover (Not much of one. I just borrowed a few things.) Dragaunus conjures up a certain magical being to use his powers but things don't go quite as he planned. Things never do with The Puck! Wing/Dive bonding, and Mal/Duke love.
1. The Adventure Begins

Adventures in Avalon

Summery: Atlantis isn't the ONLY lost city that the Ducks come across. Now the Ducks go to Avalon!

Wildwing and Nosedive do Brotherly bonding! Duke and Mallory get together! Grin and Tanya bond!! Dragaunus learns that Puck's wishes ALWAYS come with a rather big price tag! Fun!

(Note: I am terribly unoriginal, so this is the Avalon from the Gargoyle universe. If you're not familiar with the Gargoyle Universe, don't worry; I'll try to make it as clear as possible.

For those of you who don't know, in Gargoyles, Avalon is the domain of the Fay, also known as Fairy, Fair Folk, Dark Elves, Changelings, whatever. The Island is Ruled by Oberon [The Fairy King from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and the king of the elves in Celtic Mythology.] and Titania [also from Shakespeare's 'A Mid Summer Night's dream and a variation of  'Titania' was also the fairy queen in Polish mythology, I believe. I think the name was slightly different, though. At any rate, she's most well known as the fairy Queen in the previously mention play. Puck [taken from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's dream as well] is a trickster. And YES, as any Gargoyle people will tell you, Puck is eternally banished from Avalon and is stripped of his powers save a few noble causes at a point in the series. I don't want to completely ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen Gargoyles and would like some element of surprise if they ever choose to give it a shot. This is BEFORE all that, before even the whole thing with Avalonian Quest thing that Goliath, Bronx, Angela and Elisa had to go on. So the Sleeping King is Still sleeping, just FYI. Now, there's a slight complication with the Mirror of Titania. I think to use it, Demona [A Gargoyle Villainess in the series] had to have a few items; unfortunately, I don't remember what they were. All I remember is that there was a feather involved somewhere. But we're going to ignore even that and just have Dragaunus recite the Latin spell, okay? This isn't a Gargoyles Fandom so I'm assuming that no one's going to be too annoyed with me about a mistake in the Gargoyles Universe. I also don't remember WHAT museum it was in. Okay, everyone okay now? Wonderful. Have fun.)

                                                                                Adventures in Avalon

                "What's the boss cooking up now?" Chameleon asked Siege as the two walked down the corridors of the Raptor. 

                "How should *I* know?" Siege gruffly replied, "He hasn't told us yet." 

                "Oh... well, I can see where you'd have a lack of Information, then," Said Chameleon. Siege looked as if he was going to deck Chameleon as they entered the main room where Dragaunus awaited them with Wraith.

                "Oh, good, you're *finally* here," Said Dragaunus, observing their entry, "What, may I ask, TOOK you so long??"

                "Well, Uh, you see, boss..." Started the Chameleon.

                "NEVER MIND!" Snapped Dragaunus, shutting him up, "I have a new assignment for you. All three of you... and I want it done RIGHT this time, is that too much to ask?" 

                "What would you have us do, Lord Dragaunus?" Wraith asked.

                "I want you to go to a museum in Manhattan and steal a certain Artifact for me. It's called The Mirror of Titania. I was reading up on some old Earth articles and found it of particular use to me," Dragaunus ordered, "Here the coordinates," He told Wraith handing him a sheet of paper. "And *DO* set it to take you *INSIDE* this time..."

                "Of course, Lord Dragaunus," Wraith replied, setting the coordinates on their transporters.

                "Manhattan, ey?" Chameleon said, "Manhattan's in New York. You know what this means, don't you?"

                "Yeah," Said Siege, "No Ducks."

                It had been a relatively slow day for the Ducks. This usually never happened.

                "You sure Drake One's working all right, Tanya?" Wildwing asked. 

                "Yeah, Drake's workin' just fine... I mean, I've checked, checked and double-checked. Nothin's happenin' today," Tanya replied.

                "I don't like it," Said Wildwing, "When it's this quiet, Old Lizard Lips is usually up to something. The moment Dragaunus moves a checkers piece, I wanna be informed."

                "Yo, Bro... I think our old Pal just did a multiple jump and got kinged," Said Dive from the TV area, "Guys, you may wanna check this out."

                "What is it, Baby Bro?" Wildwing asked, as he and Tanya walked into to where Nosedive, and Duke were watching TV.

                "Oh, Ol' Lizard Lips was up to Somethin' All right... Just not around here," Said Duke, motioning to the TV Screen. 

                "This Footage was taken by the Security Cameras at the time of the Robbery," A woman reporter said. Footage from a Security camera flashed onto the screen. The Ducks watched as three very familiar lizards lifted a large Mirror from its place in the Exhibit. 

                "Rookies," Duck sighed, shaking his head at the sloppy techniques. 

                "The NYPD report that only one thing was stolen from the Manhattan Museum, The Mirror of Titania. The Mirror of Titania is an extremely old relic, some say it contains magic powers."

                "Magic powers?" Nosedive raised his eyebrow, "Man, Dragaunus must REALLY be reaching now."

                "I don't know, Nosedive, If Dragaunus stole that mirror, there must have been a pretty good reason," Said Wildwing.

                "Yeah, like he's finally flipped his lid," Replied Nosedive, "I mean, Magic? Come on!" 

                "Don't knock it, kid. Remember, Dragaunus managed to transport us to that dimension where Anaheim was all about Magic," Duke pointed out.

                "Yeah, but, that's like, another Dimension! We're talking THIS Anaheim," Nosedive said.

                "All the same, we need to do something. He's got a purpose for that mirror. We've gotta find out what it is, and stop him," Said Wildwing.

                "So, let me get this straight... " Said Mallory, "Dragaunus has stolen some old mirror from a Museum in Manhattan because it supposedly has some magic powers?"

                "In a nutshell," Answered Nosedive. 

                "Weird, huh?" Tanya Said

                "Dragaunus is getting desperate..." Said Mallory.

                "Exactly what I said," Nosedive threw in.

                "Hey, am *I* the only one around here that remembers being zapped by Dragaunus into another dimension full of Magic?" Duke asked, looking around.        

                "I was not there," Grin calmly informed him

                "But that was another Dimension, not *this* dimension," Mallory said.

                "I still say we should take this a bit more seriously," Said Duke.

                "There are powers all around us. Never underestimate them," Grin.

                "Yeah," Said Duke, "What he said."

                "Look, whether the mirror has magic powers or not is a moot point. The point is that we've gotta stop Dragaunus, whatever his game is," Wildwing said, "Tanya, The Moment Drake One picks up something, we're going for it."

                As if on cue, all kinds of bells, alarms and whistles erupted from Drake One.

                "I think Dragaunus just moved another Checker Piece," Said Nosedive leaping up, "Why is it that whenever you say anything to that remote effect, something happens?"

                "Tanya, where is it?" Wildwing asked. 

                "It's... in the middle of the desert..." replied Tanya. 

                "The Middle of the desert? Dragaunus stole a magic mirror all the way from Manhattan just to take it out to the middle of the desert?" Mallory asked.

                "I don't understand it either," Said Wildwing, "But if Dragaunus is out there, then that's where we go. Get to the Migrator. "

                "Oh yeah," Said Nosedive, "*This* screams, 'Set up'."

                Out in a shack, in the middle of nowhere, Dragaunus stood in front of the Mirror of Titania, holding an old, parched piece of paper.

                "I still don't see why we didn't do this in the Raptor," Said Siege.

                "Because, Dunderhead, if something goes wrong with the mirror, we don't want to damage the raptor!" Dragaunus explained.

                "Oh," replied Siege. Dragaunus Sighed.

                "Do we have everything?" He asked. Chameleon whipped out a clipboard with a pan and list on it.

                "Mirror... check...  Iron Chains... check... Old, ancient Latin Magic spell... You got that, boss?" Chameleon asked only to receive a menacing look from Dragaunus who was holding the paper in his hands. "uhh... Right... Old, Ancient Latin spell... Check...errr... Feather? Um.... Do we have a feather?" Chameleon asked nervously.

                "For your sakes," Said Dragaunus, "I should hope so."

                "Errrr... Uh.... Ummm...." Siege, Chameleon and Wraith looked at each other nervously.

                "You don't have a Feather!?" Roared Dragaunus. "The FEATHER? You forgot the FEATHER? YOU DON'T HAVE THE BLASTED FEATHER?!... Wait... Oh I see, that's this spell here... never mind..."

                The Trio of henchmen heaved a deep sigh of relief.

                "Next time we face the Duckies... We have to get a coupla feathers in case this ever happens again," Said Chameleon.

                "Siege! Tie the iron chains atop the mirror," Dragaunus ordered.

                "Boss, why do we need to..." Siege began.

                "JUST DO IT!" Roared Dragaunus. 

                "You got it," Said Siege, obeying Dragaunus and tying the chains and then locking them around the top of the mirror.

                "All right," Said Dragaunus, "Stand back." 

                The three minions quickly got a healthy distance away as Dragaunus began to read an incantation in from the page in his hands.

                "Anyone catching this?" Whispered Chameleon.

                "Nah," Said Siege, "It's all Greek to me."

                "Latin, Actually," Said Wraith, earning him a glare from the other two Henchmen. 

                Unbeknownst to Dragaunus and his minions, others were observing the ceremony

                "What's he DOING!?" Nosedive whispered. 

                "Whatever it is, it isn't good," Replied Wildwing. "We've gotta stop it."

                "What do we do? Break the mirror?" Asked Mallory.

                "Sure," Said Nosedive, pulling out his Puck launcher and aiming it straight for the mirror, "Why not?"

                Nosedive was just about to pull the trigger when Dragaunus finished the incantation. Suddenly, a small, figure shot out of the mirror and was caught in the chains.

                "What the!?" Duke jerked back.

                "Did you guys see what I just saw?" Nosedive asked, looking around at his equally shocked teammates. 

                "Did you see some small guy get catapulted out of a mirror to get caught in chains?" Asked Tanya.

                "More or less," Replied Nosedive.

                "Then, Yeah, " Tanya said, "I think we did." 

                The figure was now kneeling on the floor, bound in the iron chains. He had long, pointed ears, blue eyes, pale skin and long, flowing white hair. He looked like something out of the medieval times in his brown boots, tights, red short sleeve shirt and purple tunic with a gold rim, and golden wristbands and sash. He looked up dejected. 

                "What?" said the figure, "Do you want?"

                "Puck," Dragaunus addressed him with a grin.

                "Puck? Mallory whispered, "You mean to tell my this guy's named after a piece of hockey equipment?" 

                "You say that as if it's a bad thing," Said Duke.

                "You've been summoned here for a purpose," Dragaunus continued, "Several actually."

                "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Said Puck, "Make it quick, all right? I haven't got all day, you know." 

                "You have all eternity if I tell you to!" Roared Dragaunus.

                "But judging by the fact that you're a mortal," Said Puck, "You don't. So make it snappy. I don't intend to wait around here all day and *you're* not getting any younger."

                "What you *Intend*," Dragaunus shouted, "Doesn't matter!"

                "Yes, well, what *does* matter?" asked Puck, "What is it that you really want? Come on; come on, out with it. I've got a rather busy schedule that you are putting a crimp on."

                "Oh, I *am* sorry," growled Dragaunus.

                "Apology accepted," Said Puck. Dragaunus looked as if his head was going to explode. "Better be careful, if you keep your expression like that too long, your face will freeze that way," Puck grinned. 

                "Who *is* this guy?" asked Tanya. 

                "Darned if I know, but he's awesome," Replied Nosedive.

                "Anyway, Lizard lips, what do you want?" Puck repeated. 

                "I want total world domination!" Shouted Dragaunus in his evil Saurian War lord way. Puck jumped to his feet and then to the mirror. 

                "What does this look like?" He asked patting the side of the mirror, "Aladdin's lamp? You're in the wrong cartoon. I *do* have my limits, you know. What is it with your type and thinking I can fork over your every desire on a planetary scale?"

                "Complete control of America, then?" Dragaunus asked. Puck raised his eyebrow.

                "You're kidding, right?" he said.

                "California?" 

                "Keep Dreaming..." 

                "All right, can you manage Anaheim, then?!" Dragaunus asked. Puck looked deep in thought.

                "No," He said, decidedly.

                "NO?!" Roared Dragaunus. 

                "It's one of the rules that Big Daddy Oberon set out for us. We can't directly interfere in the lives of mortals... except for situations like these, of course, where we're conjured up against our *will*, then it's your own look out. You asked for it. Simply handing you the City would just interfere in the lives of too many mortals. You'll have to get to the city yourself. I can merely aid you," Puck explained.

                "Wrong," said Wildwing, stepping out, "You can't even do that now. It's over Dragaunus."

                "Oh look," Said Puck, Cheerfully, "The Cavalry," He brightly grinned.

                "Uh, Bro, you sure that's a good idea?" Nosedive said, stepping out after him. 

                "Does the word 'trap' mean anything to you, Wildwing?" Asked Mallory.

                "The Ducks!" Shouted Siege. "Get 'em!"

                "And get some feathers!" Added Chameleon.

                "WHAT did he just say?" Asked Duke alarmed as he drew his sword. Suddenly, a wicked grin spread across Dragaunus' face, even brighter than Puck's. On Puck, it would have looked commonplace, but on Dragaunus, It looked sanity alteringly frightening. He turned back to Puck. 

                "Puck, I have a task for you," Said Dragaunus, making the heads of everyone in the room snap to where Dragaunus and Puck stood.

                "Oh, you would! Just as things were getting interesting!" Puck sulked.

                "Okay, *that* doesn't sound too good..." Nosedive said.

                "With this guy," Said Puck, "It Probably *won't* be."

                "I want you to take care of the Ducks," Dragaunus grinned. 

                "Take Care?" Puck repeated, an eyebrow raised and a small smile playing on his thin lips.

                "Yes," Said Dragaunus, "Take Care of those Ducks. I want them gone." 

                "All right," Puck said, lowering his head to hide his smile, "I'll give you *exactly* what you asked for," He turned to look at the Ducks, 

                 "Your presence hath Dragaunus much offended,

                  The matter hath true need be mended,

                  He wants you not to be standing there,

                  And I accept his charge to take care."

        With that the Ducks disappeared. 

                "Marvelous!" Shouted Dragaunus with Glee, "What did you do to them?"

                "I took care of them," Said Puck, "In fact, I still am."

                "What?" Said Dragaunus, now confused.

                "You may want to look out of your window," Suggested Puck. Dragaunus wearily walked over to the nearest window and was physically taken a back at what he saw.

                "A health Spa?!" He Gasped.

                "Yes," Said Puck, grinning like a maniac, "All their needs are being Met. They're being taken care of. I did *exactly* what you asked."

                "YOU FOOL!" Roared Dragaunus in anger.

                "Oh, Draggy..." Nosedive called from behind them in a Singsong voice. Dragaunus turned abruptly.

                "NO!!!" He shouted. There, armed to the teeth, were the Mighty Ducks.

                "I did say *all* their needs," Puck said, grinning even more brightly.

                "Ah!" Shouted Dragaunus, looking frantically from the 6 armed Ducks who were making short work of the place while trying to get Wraith, Siege and Chameleon, to Puck, "Take us some place!"

                "Oh?" Said Puck, "Where?"

                "Anywhere! Some place Safe, where no one can reach us!" Shouted Dragaunus.

                "Any place in particular you have in mind?" Puck asked, calmly.

                "No!" Dragaunus shouted again. "Just any place safe and where we can't be reached."

                "Anywhere?" Puck asked.

                "Anywhere!" Dragaunus confirmed.

                "Very well," Smiled Puck, "Your wish is my command," Said Puck, he then recited an incantation. 

                             "Dragaunus has a new Charge of me

                             He wishes another place to be

                             A Safe place beyond anyone's reach,

                              So go we now, To Avalon's beach."

                And then with that, the world of the melted away and Dragaunus, his Henchmen, and the Ducks found themselves on a beach. The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. There were several cliffs around them, with a pathway leading to the in land of the island. On one of the cliffs was a large caldron, a burning fire with in it. The place had an all out Majestic aura about it.

                "Where are we?" Asked Tanya. Dragaunus spun around.

                "You brought them, too!" Shouted Dragaunus.

                "Of course, you didn't exactly define 'us' so I brought everyone, but that's obvious... Now, fair lady, to answer your question, you are on the fair Aisle of Avalon."

                "Avalon?" Said Duke, "As in King Arthur?" 

                "Exactamundo," Replied Puck with a grin.

                "King WHO?" Asked Tanya. 

                "An old British King of Legends way back when," Duke said.

                "My, my, for an alien you sure are versed in old human Mythology, aren't you?" Puck said approvingly.

                "It's interesting reading," Replied Duke nonchalantly. 

                "Oh really? If you're interested in his legend, perhaps you'd like to ACK!" Puck Lurched forward as Siege grabbed a hold of his chains and yanked him over to where he, Dragaunus, Chameleon and Wraith were standing. 

                "You talk too much," Said Siege.

                "I'd wish us back, but I'm afraid of what would happen. Let's MOVE!" Said Dragaunus, taking off with his minions close at his heals and dragging Puck.

                "After them!" Shouted Wildwing, taking off after them. The group chased the Dragaunus and his Henchmen, hitting them with a barrage of fire. 

                "Youch!" Yelped Puck, who was accidentally hit by some of the fire, "Hmmmm... Talk about Irony... Hit by a puck.... if it didn't hurt so much I might actually have been amused. Youch!... Look, if you're going to hit ME, can you try to hit the CHAINS?" 

                "I'm going to risk it," Said Dragaunus, "Puck, take us a safe distance away from the Ducks."

                "As you wish," Said Puck. With that the Saurians disappeared and the Ducks stopped.

                "Where do you suppose they went to?" Asked Tanya

                "I don't know," Said Wildwing, "But judging by way that guys been kicking him around so far, I doubt it's any place Dragaunus wants to be."

                "He's now feeling the pain of all the bad karma he's wracked up," Grin said.

                "Well, while we're here," Said Duke, "We might as well go exploring."

                "We're gonna need a place to stay until we get home, " Said Wildwing, "And it's probably in our best interests to find that Puck guy, too. Mallory, Duke, you two check out the Terrain, see what you can find. Hopefully there's a town or someplace around here that we can stay at. As for searching out Dragaunus, we'll cover more ground if we split up. Tanya, you're with Grin. I'll go with Nosedive."

                "Right, We're on it," Said Tanya, leaving with Grin.

                "You got it," Duke said as he and Mallory left.

                "Come on, Baby Bro, we got our work cut out for us. Let's move," Said Wildwing.

                "Man," Said Nosedive, "Avalon, a mysterious fairy type guy... magic... we are SO definitely in the wrong cartoon."

In the Next Chapters!: Where has our Puck taken Dragaunus? Well, let's just say Karma has not been kind to him. Puck's the same old loveable guy, and he's having FUN on this little romp. Tanya and Grin get quality time while trying to find Dragaunus, who as you read in the previous statement is not happy about the way things are turning out. Wing and Dive do the cute brotherly bonding thing (Everyone together now... "AWE!") and most importantly, Duke and Mallory get much closer.

Stay tuned for the next chapter as soon as I get it written. And spelling and Grammar will improve when I fix the problem with my spell checker thing.


	2. Circle

Dragaunus roared in Frustration. "WHAT," He Shouted, "POSSESSED YOU TO PICK *THIS* PARTICULAR SPOT?!" 

                "We're suitably far away from your feathered foes...You said a safe distance," Said Puck, "You never said a safe *place*."

                "I think we can hold them off," Said Siege as a suit of armor threw itself at him attacking him. The Suit of Armor made a slash for his head, very narrowly missing. "Then again... maybe not."

                "That's it," Said Chameleon as the second suit made another slash at him, "I'm Gone."

                "I think that would be wise," Said Wraith who was all ready making his way out of the hollow hill that Puck had transported him to. Inside the hill, precisely where Puck had landed them was a man sleeping on a huge pillar slab, guarded by two suits of armor. 

                "Why this place?" Growled Dragaunus as he dragged Puck out after him. 

                "I was... inspired," Smiled Puck.

                "The Question is, my lord, *where* do we go now?" Asked Wraith.

                "Any places is better than with those two metal bodyguards," Said Siege.

                "Let's go you lunk heads, we have to keep moving or those wretched ducks will catch up to us," Said Dragaunus.

                Mean while, Duke and Mallory were scouting out the landscape.

                "The Island seems all most empty... from what we've seen so far, I wouldn't surprised if we're the only ones on this rock," Said Duke. "No town, no villages... nothing...."

                "But, there're signs that this place has been influenced by some sort of people," Said Mallory. "Maybe they're just not here any longer."

                "I'm sure that Puck guy could fill us in, if we could find him," Said Duke. 

                "Hm, Easier aid than done," Replied Mallory, "Besides, the others are working on that. Let's see if we can find anyone around here." 

                "I don't think we'll find many people..." Said Duke. He ventured a little farther up the path through the forest then peered through the trees. What he saw made him go rigid. 

                "What is it, Duke?" Mallory asked.

                "I stand corrected," Duke replied. Mallory came up next to him and peered through the trees, seeing what he saw.

                A little ways a head them was a huge palace.

                "I wonder if anyone lives there," Said Mallory.

                "Yeah, Sweet heart, I'll bet *she* does," Duke said, pointing to a grey haired old lady in a medieval looking dress as she came about the corner of the castle. Mallory and Duke ducked back in behind the bushes and greenery so as not to be spotted. 

                "Well, At least we know that there's at least one other person on this island," Mallory said. "Duke, we better get going. It's all most sunset." 

                "Yeah," Said Duke, peering through a small hole in the branches, "Woah! What the!?" 

                "What is it?" asked Mallory when he pulled back alarmed, all most not believing what he'd just seen.

                "Those... Those statues... On the castle..." Duke stared wide-eyed, blinking several time.

                "Yeah," Said Mallory, "What about them?"

                "They Just came to life!" Duke exclaimed in a hoarse whisper.

                "What?" Mallory did a double take. 

                "Here," Duke Whispered, "See for yourself."

                Mallory quickly glanced through the bushes to see what once looked to be just gargoyles on an old castle now moving, living, flesh and blood creatures. She drew back.

                "Sweet mother of ducks," Duke breathed, "Let's get out of here, Mal."

                With that, the two of them drew back and fled silently.

                Back at the meeting place, Wildwing, and Nosedive were waiting for the rest of their team. 

                "You suppose Tanya and Grin had better luck tracking down Dragaunus than we did?" Nosedive asked. 

                "No," Said Tanya, walking up to them with Grin, "We didn't. I hope Duke and Mallory found a place for us to stay the night, cause we're gonna be here for a while." 

                "At least it's off season," Said Nosedive. A few seconds later, Duke and Mallory came running up to the group.

                "Mallory, Duke, did you find a place where we can stay for the night?" Wildwing asked the out of breath pair.

                "Other than a few caves, not really," Said Duke, "There was a palace a little ways from here, at least one human lives there... But we didn't really stay to chat because we didn't know how She or the stone monsters that came to life at sunset would react to two strangers, especially if the strangers where a pair of ducks." 

                "Stone monsters that come to life at sunset? This Island *is* strange," Wildwing shook his head.

                "The energies are strong here," Said Grin.

                "Where are the caves you mentioned?" Asked Wildwing.

                "They're not too far," Said Mallory.

                "Yeah, we should be able to find them before it gets too late," Added Duke as he and Mallory began to lead the team to the caves.

                When they got there however, they were less than pleasantly surprised...

                There was a small cluster of caves deeper into the forest. Near the caves as a small, glittering stream. Lush trees and greenery surrounded the cleared the caves were in. 

                "Come on," Said Duke, "They're just up this way... oh, for the love of...."

                "What is it?" Asked Tanya. The rest of the ducks caught up with Duke and came face to face with Dragaunus, his Minions and a very amused Puck. 

                "You have *got* to be putting me on!" Exclaimed Nosedive.

                "I thought you said you knew caves where we would be safe!" Dragaunus roared, grabbing Puck by the chains and hoisting them up to where their faces were level.

                "I said I knew of some caves," Said Puck, "I never said you'd be safe." 

                Dragaunus roared in frustration. "You KNEW the Ducks were going to be here, Didn't you?!" 

                "No, I didn't. It's not *my* fault they just happened on the same caves we did," Said Puck.

                "Come on," Said Wildwing, pulling out his puck launcher, "Let's get them."

                "Oh no," Said Wraith, "Not again."

                "Puck!" Said Dragaunus, "Are there any other caves on this island?" 

                "Oh, Sure," Puck cheerfully responded, looking around.

                "AWAY from the Ducks?" 

                "Yes," Responded Puck.

                "Take us there... And before you trick me again, by 'US' I mean You, Siege, Wraith, Chameleon and Me," Said Dragaunus. 

                "As you wish," Puck Grinned, a Gleam in his eye. Once again, Puck, Dragaunus and his henchmen disappeared. 

                "Wonder where they went, now?" Said Tanya.

                "The way Dragaunus' Karma seems to be running, it's probably not a good place," Said Grin.

                "Hey, But the caves are free," Said Nosedive. 

                "Next question, is there anything to eat around here?" Asked Wildwing.

                "There some Orchards not far from here," Responded Mallory.

                "Great," Said Wildwing, "You and Duke go grab what you can. We'll wait here."

                "You Got it," Said Duke as he and Mallory left.

                A ways away from them, Puck, Dragaunus and his Henchmen reached their destination. 

                "NO!" Cried Dragaunus as two suits of armor standing near a stone slab with a sleeping man on it came to life and ran at them. They were in the same place Puck had transported them Earlier when Dragaunus had ordered Puck to take them a safe distance away from the Ducks.

                "You asked for another cave..." Said Puck, "I figured, Cave, Hollow Hill, same difference, right?"

                "YOU DUNDER HEAD!" Roared Dragaunus as he grabbed Puck by the chains and drug him out of the cave behind him.

                "Is it me," Said Chameleon, "Or is this guy more trouble than he's worth?"

                Mean while, Duke and Mallory hid in the forests just outside of the palace, and the orchard.

                "All right," Said Mallory, "The Million dollar question... HOW do we get the food without being spotted."

                "That," Responded Duke, "Is Where I come in."

                "And what do I do?" Asked Mallory, raising an eyebrow, "Just sit here on my tail feathers and wait for you to get the food?"

                "I'm gonna need some help," Duke said. 

                "Well, in case you haven't noticed, Duke, I'm not exactly experienced in the art of thievery," Mallory quipped.

                "Gotta be a first time for everything, Sweetheart," responded Duke, "We're going to have to stay in the thicker parts of the orchard, and hope that they're not too observant to see us."

                "Okay," Said Mallory, "You do have a way of keeping us from being seen, I presume." 

                "Always. I can get into the threes to get to the food with out being seen. I just need you on the ground. There's a tree over there near some bushes. You hide in the bushes and I'll get the food down to you, then we both high tail it back to the caves," Duke explained.

                "Sounds all right," Said Mallory, mulling the plan over in her mind. 

                "Oh, Glad you approved," Replied Duke, "Let's go."

                Duke silently rushed to the tree that he had pointed out to Mallory, Mallory herself right behind him. Once there, Mallory ducked into the bushes and Duke fired his line and caught a Branch, then climbed up the tree. He began to grab the fruit from the tree and toss it down to Mallory. Once they had a sufficient amount, Duke jumped down from the tree and the both of them made a clean get away. 

                "Good work," Duke said as they headed back for the caves.

                "Yeah," Said Mallory, smiling at him, "I guess we do make a pretty good team."

                "You can say that again, sweetheart."


	3. Blossoms

"All right," Said Nosedive as soon as he saw Duke and Mallory arriving back, "Chow!"

"And not a moment too soon," Said Tanya, "I'm starving."

"Hunger," Said Grin, "Is an illusion. A very annoying illusion."

Duke smirked and dumped the load of fruit on the ground.

"Well," Said Duke, "Dig in."

"Wait," Said Wildwing, picking up a piece of fruit and examining it closely, "How do we know these are safe?"

Nosedive groaned and slapped his forehead. 

"Oh great," He muttered. "We FINALLY get some food and now we can't even *EAT* it because we don't know if it's safe??"

Tanya picked up a piece of fruit herself, looking at it closely.

"This is an apple," She stated, then she reached for another, "And this is a peach."

"Heh, no kidding," Nosedive responded. 

"If they're things like apples," Said Tanya, turning it around in her hand, "Then they should be okay."

"*SHOULD* being the main word. I've noticed what should be is rarely the case on this island," Wildwing replied. 

"Oh, faboo," Said Nosedive, "We have our choice of starving to death or risking death by poison. This is just GREAT."

"They've gotta be okay," Said Duke, "The castle that the orchard went to was inhabited."

"So?" Nosedive asked.

"SO," Duke responded, "they've gotta eat some how. I'll bet those... things... on the castle eat a ton. They probably get their food from the orchard."

Wildwing shook his head in frustration. "We still can't be sure," He said. "I'll scan it with the mask and see if anything comes up." 

Wildwing activated his Mask scanner, hoping for a clean scan. 

"Scans don't show anything," Said Wildwing, "But that's not to say that this island doesn't have something that wouldn't show up on the scanners."

"Well then," Said Duke, snatching the fruit from Wildwing, "There's only one way to find out."

Duke shined the apple on his shirt. "Here goes nothing," He said. 

Mallory sucked in a deep breathe, as did pretty much everyone else in the room as Duke took a Big bite out of the apple, chewed it thoroughly and swallowed.

"I think it's okay... Ack!" Duke made a grab for his throat and collapsed on the floor. Everyone's Jaw dropped and their eyes practically jump out of their sockets.

"DUKE!" Mallory shouted. Nosedive gulped.

"Uhhh... is he....?"

"No," Said Mallory, nervously, "He can't be." 

The group crept closer to peer at Duke. The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

Suddenly, Duke's eyes snapped open.

"Boo," he said, grinning. The group jumped what must have been six feet high

"Sorry," Duke said, getting to his feet, "I couldn't resist."

By now everyone in the group was glaring daggers at him. Mallory looked as if she could strangle him right then and there.

"Duke...." Wildwing growled. Mallory grabbed him by the shirt collar. 

"DON'T," She said, fixing Duke with a glare that would have melted through sixteen feet of solid steel, "*EVER* do that again!"

"Don't worry, I won't. You guys look like you could fry eggs with those glares of yers," Duke responded, shrugging Mallory's hand off.

"You all most gave us a heart attack!" Replied Nosedive, glaring at Duke.

"Sorry," Duke apologized, "Look guys, the fruit's okay."

Tanya raised an eyebrow, "Really?" She questioned.

"Hey, it didn't kill me, did it?" Responded Duke.

"Maybe it didn't," Muttered Mallory, "But I just might..."

"Okay," Said Nosedive, "That's good enough for me!"

He eagerly swooped up the first piece of fruit he could get his hands on, and began to munch on.

"What? No sugar?" He said. 

"Only if you don't count the natural ones, kid," Duke responded.

"I hope this'll hold us over until the end of our stay," Said Wildwing. "I don't want to be here too long."

Duke thought fully munched on an apple. "Me neither, but only Puck can get us back. We've gotta find him first."

"Oh yeah, *that's* gonna be real easy. We'll just look him up in the Avalon yellow pages," Said Nosedive, now halfway through his peach.

"I know, I know. To find him we have to find Dragaunus," Wildwing said.

"Another needle in a hay stack Job. You're batting a thousand, bro," Nosedive responded.

"It seems to me," Wilding said, "That Puck is Dragaunus' prisoner. If we can find Puck and get him away from Dragaunus, we can get him to send us home in exchange for his freedom."

"What about Dragaunus, then?" Asked Mallory, "We can't just leave him here on Avalon."

"I dunno," Said Nosedive, "Works for me." 

"There is great power in Avalon, the forces are all around it. There is no telling what Dragaunus could do if he got a hold of any of it," Said Grin

"Oh," Said Nosedive, "Point taken."

"From what I've seen, "Said Wildwing, "While Puck is in chains, he obeys whoever holds him. We could get him to send Dragaunus back with us as captives."

"I dunno; that guy seems to be giving Dragaunus a hard time... you think he'll cooperate with us?" Asked Tanya doubtfully. 

"I don't know," Said Wildwing, "But we have to try." 

A breeze began to blow into the cave; the temperature was dropping with night. As the breeze continued to blow, Mallory began to shiver. Duke noticed and put his arm around her. Nosedive raised an eyebrow but said nothing; a small smile was playing on his lips.

"We'd best build a fire or something to keep us warm. I don't know how far the temperature will drop," Said Tanya, rubbing her hands together.

"Yeah," Said Duke getting up, "I'll go grab some firewood." 

"I'll go with you," Said Mallory, quickly. Duke turned to look at her, somewhat questioningly, "In case the Creepasauri show up or you run into some other kind of trouble," She said nervously.

Duke Nodded and they both headed out.

Nosedive smiled and shook his head, and wondered if he was the only one to notice how Duke and Mallory were acting. 

One look around told him he wasn't.

Mallory and Duke headed into the forest. The breeze was blowing much stronger. Mallory was trying to cover her shivers, but Duke still noticed. 

"You sure you wanna come, Mal? It's getting colder out here," Said Duke.

"I'll be fine," She said, "A little chill never hurt anyone, and what about you? The cold affects you as much as me."

"Yeah," Said Duke, "But *I* have sleeves."

"I'll be fine," Mallory repeated, trying to hide her shiver.

"Mallory, you're shivering," Duke raised an eyebrow.

"No I'm not," She said defensively.

"You *are*," Duke persisted. 

"Why do you care, anyway?"

"I wouldn't want you to catch cold," Duke answered hastily. 

"I think I can stand a little bit of a night chill long enough to gather some sticks for a fire," Mallory said.

"I have no doubt that you can," Duke said.

Malloy stopped. "What do you mean by *that*?" She asked.

Duke stopped as well and turned, looking her right in the eyes. 

"There doesn't seem to be much of anything you *can't* do," He responded, "Especially when you've set yer mind to it, like now."

Mallory was more or less speechless, she stood there, her mind mulling over what he'd just said.

Duke couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked, the Avalonian moon shining down upon her, bathing her in its silver glow. His heart started to beat faster.

"Come on," Said Duke, "The sooner we get firewood, the sooner we get back to start a fire." 

Mallory nodded and caught up to him, walking beside him.  He looked at her through the corner of his eye.

He had long since noticed she was pretty, but never before now had seen how truly beautiful she was. He didn't know why he hadn't noticed sooner. Maybe it was the magic of Avalon getting to him, but walking beside her on the cool, crisp, clear night with moon shining on her, the silver light playing on her features, he could have sworn then and there that she was just about the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life. Right then, every jewel he's ever laid eyes on paled miserably. Now they all seemed like just some sparkly rocks. Mallory and Duke continued to make their way through the forest and his heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't know why. It had to be the romantic and magical atmosphere of Avalon. That had to be it. Mallory and Duke went to different spots and started gathering dry, fallen branches. Neither of them could seem to concentrate on their tasks, however.

A thousand thoughts were running through Mallory's mind and heart. What had Duke Meant when he said there didn't seem to be anything she couldn't do? It must've been something to quiet her down. That must have been it... but the words still kept ringing in her ears. Did Duke really mean what he said? What if he did? Mallory didn't know what to think. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she tried not to look at Duke. She'd never noticed before just how attractive he really was.

"I think we've got enough, Mal. Wanna head back?" Duke called over to her.

"Sure," She responded.

"I wonder how Old Lizard Lips is doing..." Duke said.

"Yeah," Said Mallory, "I wonder..."

Halfway across the island:

Dragaunus and his henchmen were sitting in a cluster of trees in the forest, having not been able to find a good cave.

"Oh, Wonderful. We can't get to the orchards to get any food because those wretched creatures keep spotting us, and the temperature is rapidly dropping," Complained Dragaunus.

"If you're cold, I can always build you a fire," Offered Puck. 

"I don't think I trust you enough to ask you do that," Dragaunus said, casting his eyes wearily over to Puck.

"Oh," Said Puck, mockingly, "You know, that really hurts."

"Oh shut up," growled Dragaunus. 

"I can conjure you up something to eat," Puck offered in a saccharine sweet voice.

"Everything you've 'conjured up' thus far has been a complete disaster!" Snapped Dragaunus.

"Hey, can I help it if I have sense of humor?" Puck asked, "You're the one who brought me here."

"I had no idea you would be a such a nuisance!" Dragaunus roared.

"'Sblood, do you think I am easier to be play'd on than a Pipe?... Should have read the fine print," Puck replied. Dragaunus roared and pounded his fist against a near by rock. "My, my, my," Said Puck, "We have quite the temper, don't we? You know you should really look into taking some anger management classes."

About fifteen minutes after Duke and Mallory returned to the cave with their bundles of fire wood, the Ducks finally managed to get a fire started after several failed and rather comical attempts. 

"Now," Said Nosedive, warming himself next to the fire, "If only we had Blankets." 

"Tell me about it," Responded Tanya who was also trying to warm herself up. "For a place with such nice weather, it sure does get cold here on Avalon."

"Just Destiny's little way of slapping us across the beak," Said Nosedive. Wildwing put his arm around him.

"Don't worry, Baby Bro. We'll be off the island and back at the Pond soon," Wildwing said.

"Really? Booked a cruise I don't know about?" Nosedive asked, yawning.

"We'll find a way Back," Wildwing said, assuring his little brother, "We'll find a way back." 

"We're never going to get back," Chameleon groaned to himself as he learned against a tall oak, trying not to fall asleep.

"Oh," Said Puck Cheerfully, "I can get you *back*..."

"NO!" Said Dragaunus, "Who knows what devious trick you'd think up."

"Hey, why be a trickster if you don't play tricks?" Puck Said. "Besides, with out me, how are you going to get back?"

"Well, just have to find our own way back," Said Dragaunus. "Perhaps we can make a raft or something and sail back."

"Getting back with out my guidance is going to be hard," Said Puck, "First of all, you don't know where on the map this island is. For all you know, we could be anywhere from in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to off the coast of California. How will you find your way back? And your transporters don't work here. But above all, Avalon doesn't take you where you want to go, Avalon sends you where you need to be."

"WHAT?!" Roared Dragaunus.

"If you just sail off by yourself, it's up to Avalon where you go and Avalon sends you where you need to be... and I wouldn't say you're exactly needed anywhere," Replied Puck.

Dragaunus growled and punched a near by pine tree.

"No pathetic rock in the middle of an ocean is going to defeat the great Saurian Lord Dragaunus!" He roared.

"Does he usually refer to himself in third person?" Puck asked Siege, Wraith and Chameleon. "First of all, how do you know Avalon is in the middle of the ocean? We could be off the coast of Madagascar for all you know. And, Avalon isn't a 'pathetic rock'; it's the most powerful land this Earth has seen yet. It spawned beings such as myself, didn't it?"

"Regrettably," Replied Dragaunus. Puck was about to reply when he caught Chameleon yawning. A mischievous grin crept across his face.

"Tired?" He asked sweetly.

"Yeah," replied Chameleon, "A little."

"Why don't the lot of you take a little nap? I'll stand guard," Suggested Puck.

"You expect us to fall for that one?" Dragaunus replied, "You really expect us to trust you enough for that?"

"Why not? You're on my home turf, who better to guard you?" Replied Puck.

"Or stick a knife in our back, " Muttered Siege. 

"I can't do anything to you while I'm under your power. Besides, the Ducks are quite comfortable, why shouldn't you be?" Said Puck.

"What?" Dragaunus hissed. "How would YOU know about how the Ducks are doing?"

"I'm just talented like that," replied Puck, "The have a fire going, food to eat. If this were the evolutionary scale, they'd be six steps ahead of you."

"You don't have to rub it in," wined Chameleon. Chameleon abruptly shut his mouth as he received a glare from Dragaunus. 

"If you can't get the other advantages they have," Said Puck, "You might at least catch some sleep and be well rested. They're all ready able to wipe the floor with you as it is."

"He has a point, Boss," said Siege.

"But he's obviously trying to trick us, you idiot!" Roared Dragaunus.

"Who?" Said Puck, pointing to himself innocently, "Me?"

"Some sleep would be nice right about now," Said Chameleon.

"Then go to sleep," Said Puck strangely. With that, The Saurians immediately fell into a deep, sleep. Puck chucked. "And in sleep what dreams may come…" he grinned, knowing for sure that none of his captors would have any pleasant dreams.  "Now, to check up on the competition…"

Puck floated to a near by tree and waved his hand over a large knothole. The Know immediately began to shimmer and transformed into a viewing portal to the cave where the Ducks were. If Dragaunus was going to keep him chained, he might as well have some fun. He studied the Ducks and their surroundings. They did look comfortable. He looked from duck to duck, smiling as he came to Nosedive and Wildwing. The two brothers were sitting closely together, Wildwing's wing around Nosedive who had all most fallen asleep. Wildwing himself was looking exhausted and as if he himself were about to nod off. They were leaning against a large rock in the cave. 

_Awe_, Thought Puck, _Now isn't that just too cute? I'll have to arrange a bonding scenario for them…_

They group was ensconced deep in the cave, near the back. Wildwing and Nosedive were to the left of the fire, Tanya and Grin to the Right, Mallory was to the back of the cave and Duke had his back to the front of the cave. Grin was meditating and next to him Tanya was leaning against a rock, starting to fall asleep. Mallory looked tired as well. Duke and Grin seemed to be the only ones not falling asleep. Grin was meditating and Duke was staring across the fire at Mallory. Puck noticed and smiled broadly. 

_Now this could be promising_, thought Puck, studying the two. _Time to play a little Matchmaker. They're obviously perfect for each other, anyway._

Duke stared fixedly across the fire at Mallory. With the orange glow about her and the fire accenting her flaming red hair, he found her just as beautiful in the firelight as he did in the moon light.

He shifted his attention around to the other members of the Circle, Grin seemed to be meditating, next to him, and Tanya was beginning to fall asleep. Wildwing also looked exhausted, Nosedive had all but fallen asleep at Wildwing's side. He wasn't surprised that the group was so tired, after all that had happened today. His attention shifted back to Mallory, who seemed to be falling asleep, herself. Duke sighed. He needed to think. 

"Hey, Grin," Duke whispered, so as not to wake up his sleeping Comrades. Grinned slowly opened his eyes.

"Yes?" Grin Replied.

"I'm gonna go take a walk, I'll be back in a little bit," Duke informed him, getting up.

"Is that wise?" Grin asked.

"Sure," Said Duke, "I'll be fine."

"If you think it all right," Said Grin, and he then went back to his meditation.

Duke nodded and began to head out. Mallory, now more awake. Watched him go.

"Grin?" She whispered.

"Yes?" Grin replied again.

"I'm going to go with Duke, and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble," Mallory said.

"That is probably a wise idea," Said Grin, "Two sticks together are harder to break than one stick alone."

Mallory Nodded and left to follow Duke.

_Perfect_, Puck grinned as he watched the scene unfold in front of him; _Some Avalonian atmosphere, and the right environmental settings and a little nudge from the Puck are all they need. _

As Dragaunus and his henchmen slept fitfully, Puck watched the two ducks. _Atmosphere, atmosphere_, He thought. He'd observe his projects for a few more minutes before making any changes.

Duke hadn't gone too far by the time Mallory caught up to him, just a little ways ahead of the forest.

"Hey Duke," She called, stopping about a foot behind him, "Where are you going?"

Duke Stopped abruptly, unaware until now that he had been followed. He turned acutely to face Mallory, "Ah, just takin' a walk. I wanted some time to think," He replied.

Mallory hesitated, and then asked, "You want some company?" 

Duke smiled a small smile, "Sure," He replied. 

Mallory smiled and walked up beside him. It was increasingly cold, but she ignored it. Duke, however, still noticed her shivering. So did Puck.

_Ah HA_, Thought Puck with a wolfish grin, _That's the ticket. Let's see if the cold beings them together…_

Puck waved his hand in front of the portal, causing it the temperature to drop.

"Cold?" He asked. Mallory was about to deny it, but turned to look at Duke and looked him right in the eyes. For a few minutes, they just stood there, speechless, looking into each other's eyes. Mallory found that she couldn't quite lie to him with him looking at her like that.

"A little," She admitted.

"Yeh wanna go back to the cave?" He offered. Mallory thought a few minutes. 

"No," She decided, "I'll be fine."

"Are yeh sure?" Duke asked, "Last thing you need is to catch a cold or something."

"We all ready had this discussion," Said Mallory, "Besides, I need to clear my head as well." 

"Oh," Said Duke, not knowing what more to say. 

"So," Mallory started awkwardly, "Were you walking to any place in particular?"

"No," Said Duke, "Just walkin' I thought it might be nice to see more of this place before leaving."

"Oh," Mallory replied, turning away, pretending to be looking at the surroundings, "It *is* beautiful here."

Duke continued to gaze at her, not able to help himself. "Yeah," He said, "Beautiful."

He shook his head to clear himself from the daze he was in. 

"It sure is a clear night," Mallory said, looking up the stars, "The sky was never this clear back in Anaheim."

"This place seems to be set apart from the rest of the world," Said Duke. He and Mallory both stared up at the clear sky. The stars were burning brightly and the Moon was full, shining down on them. Duke and Mallory continued to walk into the forest, which was also beautiful. The forest looked like something out of a Fairy tale book. It probably was enchanted, to boot. The trees were tall and majestic looking, and full of leaves. The flowering trees and bushes were exceptionally breath taking. All along the bath they walked, the grass was lush and green and beautiful flowers were sprinkled everywhere.  There were a few babbling brooks and streams around them and they could hear the far off sound of a waterfall. The light from the full moon made the streams glitter. The forest was filled with the melodious sounds of the night. Duke thought that the girl beside him had to be the prettiest attraction of them all. The two of them kept walking until they came to a medium sized, rocky hill. It was in a round clearing, the circle of trees framing the clear sky above like a frame.

"Wonder what the view is like from up there?" Mallory mused.

"Only One way to find out," Replied Duke, as he began to climb up the hill, Mallory following him up. The Hill was small and relatively easy to climb, with lots of hand and foot hold and protruding rocks to grab hold of. Duke was the first to reach the top. 

As soon as he got up he turned around and lowered his hand to Mallory and pulled her up with him. 

The view from the top of the hill was awe-inspiring. It gave them a commanding view of the forest. But it wasn't the first thing they noticed.

As Duke pulled Mallory up, they came face to face. They both noticed how close they were to each other. They seemed to be only inches a part. They stood there, silently for a few minutes, just staring at each other. Duke's heart was racing a mile a minute and Mallory found it hard to breathe. Mallory then turned away for look around. 

"Wow," She said, "It's beautiful up here. You can see most of the forest."

"Yeah," Duke agreed, also looking around, "But that's not the only beautiful thing about it," He added before he could stop himself. Mallory just kept looking around, and much to Duke's relief didn't _seem_ to notice. 

_Am I good or what?_ Puck mentally congratulated himself. _Now to drop the temperature a little more and add a few more touches…. _Puck waved his hands in front of the portal a few more times.

Duke and Mallory were standing side by side atop the hill, admiring the view when Duke happened to look down. Right next to his feet grew two flowers. A violet and a miniature red rose. 

"Would you look at that," He mused.

"What?" Mallory asked."

"Right on the top of this Rock, two flowers are growin'. There must be something about this place. It seems its plants can grow anywhere."

"Yeah," Said Mallory, "You're right."

Duke reached down and swooped up the two flowers, surprised when they came up by the roots. He was also surprised that none of the thorns stuck him.

"Here," he said, handing them to Mallory, "They might make nice souvenirs."

Mallory hesitated, and then accepted them. Their hands touched for a brief second as Duke put the two flowers in her hand.

"Thank you," Mallory smiled.

"Don't mention it, sweetheart," Duke said, smiling back. A Circle of tree seemed to surround the hill, making viewing the stars of the clear night sky all the easier.

Duke and Mallory both sat down enjoying the beauty of the surrounding forest and clear night sky. The moon was directly above them, and seemed to shine down on them in full strength.

"It's so beautiful..." Mallory sighed, looking around, "Too bad there aren't more places like it."

"Yeah," Said Duke, "And too bad we had to get zapped here like this... but it's not so bad I guess. At least we're here."

Back at the cave, Tanya stirred from where she was lying next to Grin. She slowly awoke and sat up, to find everyone asleep except for Grin. As she began to wake up more and more, she noticed Mallory and Duke were gone.

"Grin," She whispered, "Were are Mallory and Duke?"

"Duke left to take a walk. Mallory decided to go with him should he run into any trouble," Grin calmly explained.

"Do you think you should have let them go?" Tanya asked.

"They needed to clear their minds and find inner tranquility, as well as each other," Grin explained.

"Oh," Said Tanya, "I think I got that. But what if Dragaunus finds them?"

"Duke and Mallory are more than able to take care of themselves, and they must find peace with themselves. I doubt Dragaunus will be of any trouble. Puck isn't letting his inner tranquility be tranquil," Grin replied.

"Point taken," Said Tanya. "But still..."

"You're worried," Grin finished for her.

"Yeah," Tanya said, "I'm worried. Like you said, they'll probably be fine."

"You do not seem convinced," Said Grin. 

"I'm just kinda worried about 'em, That's all," Replied Tanya, "I'd feel really bad if something happened to them. I'd really miss them."

"Undoubtedly, as we all would," Answered Grin. Tanya was silent for a while. 

"You seem troubled," Said Grin.

"Like I said, I'm just kinda worried about them," Tanya said, "What I wouldn't give to be back home at the pond right now."

"Are you sure you will be all right?" Grin asked, genuine concern showing in his voice.

"Yeah," Said Tanya, "I think so."

Duke and Mallory sat on the hill, watching the stars and enjoying the picturesque beauty of Avalon and each other's company. However, the down side was that the weather was getting colder and colder... unbeknownst to them, the dropping temperature was dropping compliments of Puck. Mallory began to shiver more and more as the chilling night winds nipped at them. Duke noticed and smiled to himself.

"Still cold, huh?" He asked.

"Yes," Mallory replied.

"We should go back to the cave then. The last thing you need is to catch a cold or something," Duke suggested.

"No," Said Mallory, "I'm fine, really."

Duke sighed and chuckled, "You are one of the most stubborn people I've ever met in my entire existence," He said.

"You can be pretty stubborn yourself, L'Orange," Mallory shot back.

"Yeah, but you have me beat by a ten-fold, McMallard," Duke responded.

"Look, I just don't want to go back yet," Mallory said.

"Me neither," Replied Duke.

"Then why are you pushing so hard?" Mallory asked.

"I'm worried about you catching something," Duke responded, "I want you to get back to Anaheim in perfect health."

"Very considerate, but I'll be okay. I'm just a little cold," Mallory assured him.

"Sure, whatever you say, Sweet heart," Duke replied. When Mallory began to shiver even more violently, Duke cautiously slipped his arm around her, and drew her closer to him. He was surprised when she didn't pull away, but snuggled into him, enjoying his warmth and sighing contently. They sat there like that for what seemed like an eternity, both wishing it would never end. 

_YES! _Puck mentally cheered himself on, _And Puck Scores! Am I good or am I GOOD?! Just a few more atmospheric touches and they're bound to admit their feelings. _

"Mal," Duke said after a while, "We really should be heading back, as much as I hate to admit it."

Mallory sighed. "Yeah," She said, "You're right." 

Duke reluctantly got up to break the embrace. He reached down a hand and once again helped Mallory up, and they both climbed back down the stony hill again. Duke made it to the ground first and held his hand out to Mallory as she hopped down the remaining few inches to the ground. When she landed She and Duke again stood there, face to face, only inches apart, hands clasped hand hearts going a mile a minute. Duke looked down at her, a million thoughts going through him mind. 

_Come on, Come on,_ though Puck anxiously, _Go for it, Pal, go for it. You know she's got it bad for you… _

After a few moments of delegation and thought, he leaned his head down slightly and gently kissed her. He was again surprised when she didn't pull away but instead kissed him back. As the kiss deepened, he slowly let go of her hand wrapped his arms around her, pulling her ever closer. Her hands rested on his chest as they kissed. 

"All right!" Puck congratulated himself, "Who's the man? Let's add a few more romantic touches…" 

A few moments later, they reluctantly broke for air. The two hadn't noticed that several of the flowering trees had burst into white blossoms around them, and they also didn't seem to notice the night air was getting warmer. All they could see was each other. Duke gazed down on Mallory, admiring her beauty and drinking in the sight of her. He let go of her with one arm and brought his free hand up to stroke her face. Mallory rested her head against his chest as he continued to stroke her hair with his free hand. They stood there in silence, both not knowing just what to say. It was Duke who finally broke the silence.

"I love you, " he whispered into Mallory's ear. He knew it was a little quick, but he didn't know what else to do except say what was in his heart. "I don't know when or how it happened, Mallory, but I've fallen head over heels in love with you. "

"I love you, too, " Mallory murmured in reply. Duke smiled broadly and held Mallory even more tightly. "You managed to steal my heart. "

Duke chuckled a little at this, "And it's the most valuable thing I've gotten so far, " he said, "I'll never break it, Mallory. I promise. "

"I know you won't," Mallory replied, "Some how, I know you won't. "

"So, you finally trust me now? " Duke Smirked

"Yes, but don't let it go to your head, " Mallory smiled.

"Come on, let's get back to the cave before it gets much later," Duke replied, letting go of Mallory. She smiled and Nodded, and the two walked back to the cave, hand in hand.****

"Awe…" Said Puck, smiling broadly. _Aren't they just **adorable**? Who's the Puck? _

Okay, probably not the best place to leave off but writer's block plagues me again.

In chapters four and five I plan to get around to the Wildwing/Nosedive Bonding I've promised you all as well as the Grin and Tanya quality time, a long with more Duke/Mal romance and the ever popular antics of Puck and the Saurian Slime balls. 


End file.
